Automobile hood clamp



W. R. BASSICK AUTOMQBILE noon CLAMP Filed Jan. 28, 1922 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 vl'i'ill'llllIIIIII'IIIIIIIIIII! I INVENTOR.

BY @1151 41m 5 4;

A5 ATTORNEYS.

May 13 1924. W. R. BASSICK AUTOMOBILE noon CLAMP Filed Jan. 28. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet Z A/J ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. BASSICK, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BASSICK COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

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Application filed January 28, 1922. Serial No. 532,485.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. BASSICK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Automobile Hood Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in automobile hood clamps. It has for its object the provision of improved clamping devices whereby the engine hood may be secured in an efiective manner to the frame of an automobile, the clamping devices being designed to prevent rattling, to be self adjusting, to be efficient and simple in operation,.and inexpensive to manufacture. My preferred clamping devices comprise a holddown clamp and a side engaging clamp which are connected to operate together, spring means for forcing the clamps downwardly and cam means, or means acting at an inclination, whereby the spring action not only serves to press the hold-down clamp downwardly, but also tends to force the side engaging clamp laterally, towards the hood. Other objects of the invention consist in the various combinations of parts and details of construction embodied in the device, all as will be more fully set forth in the following specification, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood attention is hereb directed to the accompanying drawings orming part of this application and illustrating certain embodiments of the invention. Inthe drawings Fig. 1 represents a vertical section taken on line 1, 1, of Fig. 2;

Fi 2 is a front elevation of a clamping evice embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a to plan view of the device, the hood being s own in section;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 55 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of the device;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the same, the hood being shown in section; and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 40f the drawings the engine hood, indicated at 1, is to be clamped to the frame of the automobile, a portion of which is indicated at 2. The hood is to be clamped against an up-stands ing portion of the frame which is illustrated as a flange 3 on the frame portion 2.

A hold-down clamp, as illustrated, comprises a hook 4, which extends laterally and downwardly from a barrel 5. The latter is illustrated as having a boss 6 formed on one side thereof, adjacent its lower end, which boss forms a seat against which a pad 7 of rubber or other desired material issecured, as by means of the, screw 8.

A base bracket 9 is secured to the automobile frame member 2, as by means of securing devices such as screws 10, or it may, of course, be integral with a frame mem ber. This base bracket is formed, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, to provide a central portion 11 which extends toward hood 1 .ata rising inclination, this inclined portion 1.1 of the bracket having a slot 12, extending therethrough, this slot extending in the axial direction of the bracket, that is, towards hood 1. It will be understood that the invention is not' limited to the use of theslot 12in the inclined portion of the base bracket, but that other suitable inclined guiding means may be used.

In the form of device illustrated a rod 13 extends lon itudinally through barrel 5. This rod is i1 ustrated as provided at its upper end with a portion 14 of enlarged diameter which slidably engages in a suitable opening at the up er end of barrel 5. Preferabl the barre is provided with integral han 1e ortions 15, 15, extending from opposite sides of the upper end of the barrel, this construction serving to close the upper end of the barrel except for the openin in which the portion 14 of rod 13 slidab engages. Barrel 5 is closed at its lower end except for an opening through which rod 13 slidably engages.

A spiral sprin 16 is shown as coiled about rod 13 wit in barrel 5, this spring hearing at its upper end against the peri heral shoulder formed at the lower end of the enlargement 14 while the lower end of. the sprin bears against the lower end portion 17 0% the barrel. Accordingly, the spring being pressed between enlargement takes the form of a bracket 18 formed of pressed metal, having a downwardly and inwardly slanting front wall 19 over which the hook 4 may be engaged. Preferably front wall 19 of this bracket is provided with an inwardly extending shoulder 20 against which the nose of hook 4 may press. This shoulder is preferably formed by slit ting the metal of the front wall 19 of the bracket, as indicated at 21, and pressing the tongue thus formed upwardly and inwardly, to constitute the; abutment 20, 20,

as shown. The provision of this abutment.

20 tends to. prevent the wearing through of the front wall 19 of the bracket, or wear .of hook 4, under the repeated application of hook 4 to the bracket.

Rod 13 extends through slot 12 in the inclined bracket member 11, rod 13 having an enlargement 22 at its lower end, which cannot pull up through slot 12. Enlargement 22 is preferably provided with a smoothly curved upper surface 23 which is adapted to slidingly engage against the'under surface of the inclined portion 11 of bracket 9 adjacent to slot 12. The curved upper sur- -face of enlargement 22 may also serve as a fulcrum about which the device will rock when surface 23 is pressed against the under surface of the inclined member 11. A pin 24, or the-like, may be extended through rod 13 to serve as a stop or seat against which the lower end portion 17 of barrel 5 may engage when hook 4 is not in engagement with its bracket 19.

In operation, it is only necessary to raise handles 15 relativeto rod 13, sufficiently to enable hook 4 to slip over the upper edge of bracket 19. This beingaccomplished, the

upward inclination of the portion-11 of bracket 9 will cause the lower end of the clamping device to move towards hood 1 to press clamping member 7 firmly against hoodl. This is, of course, because of the fact that the spring 16 is pulling upwardly on rod 13 and the lower end of the latter has a slidable bearing portion engaging against the under side of an inclined surface; accordingly the upwardly directed force tends to cause the bearing surface '23 of rod 13 to slide upwardly and laterally as permitted by the inclination ofmemberll. Accordingly the lower clamping member 7 of the device will move laterally against hood 1 and be pressed .firmly thereagainst, the; whole clamping device in eife'ct swingin I hook 4 as a fulcrum, to place camping member 7 in its operative position.

With such anarrangement it is obvious about that the hood will at all times be held down firmly against member 2 and be pressed laterally against flange 3 so as to prevent rattling thereof. It will also be obvious that the device is self adjusting and that the inclination of member 11 acts in effect to cam member 7 laterally against the hood whenever rod 13 is pulled upwardly and that this action will cause a firm bearing of mem her 7 against the hood at alltimes regardless of any slight wear in member 7. n

The device may take various forms within the spirit of the invention. In Figs. 5 to 8 of the drawings I have illustrated a similar device in which the lower end of the rod 13 is provided with an eye 25 which engages over an inclined rail 26. Rail 26 may be formed as .an inclined portion of a bent rod, the. two ends of which are provided with screw threads and inserted through openings in frame member 2, to which they are secured by means of nuts 27, as indicated.

Also in this form of device the bracket 18 secured to the hood 1 is illustrated as provided with a downwardly extending portion 18, which rests against the hood below the outwardly flaring portion 18 of the bracket, over which the hook 4 engages. The bumper, or clamping member 7 is shown as secured to portion 18 of bracket 18 as by means of the counter-sunk screw 27,clamping member 7 a being of rubber or other suitable material. With this form of device the effect is, of course, the same, the side of barrel 5 engaging against clamping member 7 when hook 4 engages in position and spring 16 pulls upwardly on rod 13, causing eye 25 to tend to slide towards the hood along rail 26. In the claims the term side engaging surface will be understood as a generic expression to indicate surface on the barrel which bears laterally against the hood, this term indicating either the bumper 7 on the barrel inthe construction shown in Fig. 1, or the surface of the barrel which engages the bumper 7 on the hood in the construction shown in Fig. 5.

In this form of construction the barrel 5 is illustrated as being closed by a covering member 28 which may be suitably secured thereto, and which has the hook 4 and the handle members 15 formed integral therewith. With this construction the rod 13 is provided at its upper end, within thebarrel, with a shoulder 14 against which'the upper end of spring 16 may press.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited strictly to the details of construction described but is as broad as is in- .dicated by the accompanying claims.

downwardly, and means, including an in-' clined member, and means carried by said first named member and slidingly engaging said inclined member, for pressing said side engaging surface into contact with the hood whichis to be clamped, as said resiliently ressing means operates, said inclined member being of such length as to cause such operation regardless of wear between said side engaging surface and hood.

2. In an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a hold down clamp and a side engaging surface, means, including a spring, for pressing said clamp, when adjusted in position, down against a portion of a hood, and means, including an immovably fixed inclined member, for pressing said side en- "aging surface into contact with the hood, during the operation of said s ring, said in: clined member being incline in the same direction throughout its length.

3. In an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a hold down clamp and a side engaging surface, a member by which the same are both fixedly carried, and coacting means, including a spring, for presssing said clamp,

, when adjusted in position, down against a portion of a hood, and at the same time pressing said side engaging surface towards the hood, and into engagement therewith, regardless of wear between said surface and hood.

4. In an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a member carrying a hold down clamp at its upper end and a side engaglng surface at a lower point, and means for forcing said. clamp down upon a coacting portion of a hood, when adjusted thereon, and at the same time swinging said member to wards the hood, about the engaging portion of said clamp as a fulcrum to press said side engaging surface against the hood, regardless of wear between said side engaging surface and hood.

5. In an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a member carrging a hold down clamp at its upper end an a side engaging surface at a lower point, a member longitudinally slidable relatively to said first member, a spring coacting with both members to press the firstnamed member down and the second named member up, relatively to each other, and an inlined guiding abutment engaged by said second member when said clamp presses down on the hood,

ada ted to cause the upward pressure of sai second member to press said side en'- gaging surface into contact with the hood, said abutment being inclined upwardly towards said hood throughout its length.

6. In an automobile hood clamp, the com bination of a member carr ing a hold down clamp at its upper end an a side engaging surface at a lower point, a rod longitudinally slidable through. bearings in said member, a spring coacting with said member and rod to press the former down, and'the latter up, relatively to. each other, and a fixed guiding abutment inclined to the axis of said rod, said rod having a lower end portion adapted to slidingly coact with said abutment, s'aid abutment being inclined in' the same direction throughout its length.

7. In an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a member carrying a holddown hook at its upper end and a side engaging surface at its lower end, a rod longitudinally slidable through bearings in said member, a spring adapted to press said member down and said rod up, relatively to each other, a frame memberfa hood member to be clamped thereto, and a bracket on the hood member-"over which said hook engages, said frame member having a portion inclined towards said hood member, said rod having a lower end portion slidably coactin with said inclined ortion, said incline portion being inclined upwardly towards said hood member throughout its length.

8. In an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a member carrying a hold down hook at its upper end and a side engaging surface at its lower end, a rod longitudinally slidable through bearings in said member,

a sgring adapted to press said member down 5 an said rod up, relatively to each other,

a frame member, a hood member. to be clamped thereto, a bracket on the hood member over which said hook engages, and means. for swinging the lower end of said member towards the hood member when said hook engages over said bracket, said bracket having a lower extension with a bufier secured thereon against which said side engaging surface will press.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 26th day of January A. D. 1922.

WILLIAM R. BASSICK. 

